In a move that will resonate with many gamers, the creator of the official Elden Ring comedy manga has put his work on temporary hiatus in order to fully experience the game’s highly-anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
Manga artist Nikiichi Tobita announced on social media that he will be skipping the July 19th, 2024 release of the next chapter for his series Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree. This break is solely to allow Tobita ample time to immerse himself in the newly-launched Shadow of the Erdtree downloadable content from developer FromSoftware.
Tobita shared an illustration of himself excitedly dreaming about the expansion’s mysterious new “glowy worm boy” creature that instantly captured fans’ imaginations upon its reveal trailer.
His lighthearted decision to postpone manga duties exemplifies the level of hype surrounding Shadow of the Erdtree, which has been two years in the making since Elden Ring’s acclaimed 2022 launch.
Like previous FromSoftware titles, accessing the Elden Ring expansion requires players to complete a series of obscure prerequisites and objectives first – a familiar gameplay loop that entices dedicated fans.
While some may criticize taking time off work to play games, Tobita’s choice resonates with Elden Ring’s passionate community, who have been thoroughly enchanted by the Lands Between and eagerly await new challenges.
As reviewers have proclaimed, “Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player expansions,” enhancing the landmark RPG experience with a new 20-25 hour campaign filled with FromSoftware’s signature combat and worldbuilding.
By putting his professional manga responsibilities on hold temporarily, Tobita ensures he can fully devote himself to the expansion without distractions – akin to how many take time off for monumental game releases.
His candid hiatus announcement serves as an amusing reminder that even professional creators can’t resist the pull of exploring new virtual frontiers when offered the chance.
Elden Ring fans worldwide can relate as they, too, disappear into the treacherous Lands Between once more when Shadow of the Erdtree finally launched on June 21st after years of anticipation.
